US government spent $80.4 bn on food stamps in 2012

[Jetdawgg]

The US government has spent a record USD 80.4 billion on food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that helps Americans who cannot afford to buy food.


According to the US Department of the Treasury, the federal government has paid out USD 80,401,000,000 for food stamps during fiscal year (FY) of 2012 (from October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012), increasing the amount by USD 2.7 billion from previous year.

Since President Barack Obama took office, the amount paid out by the SNAP has increased yearly. In FY 2009, it was reported to be at USD 55.6 billion, meaning the amount has increased by USD 24.8 billion during the past three years until 2012.

Food stamps are government vouchers, restricting eligible consumers to buy only food at grocery stores and no hot meals.

The number of Americans using food stamps hit a record high in September of 2012 when 47.7 million received help from the SNAP.

Most often, the Americans living on food stamps live on about USD 4 a day to eat. That is a dollar and forty cents for each meal.

Official figures from September 2012 showed that more than 46 million Americans, 15 percent of the US population, are living in poverty, making it the highest rate during the past 40 years.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01...ord-of-804-bn/

[palmetto defender]

Of course, there continues to be widespread abuse of the food assitance program. In all areas of the country as reported on several media outlets (including CNN) EBT card are being used for liquor, cigarettes, cash exchance and strip clubs and probably drugs and prostitutes. . Hardly their intent. Although they are being used for commerce. LOL.

[BushyTheBeaver]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

Official figures from September 2012 showed that more than 46 million Americans, 15 percent of the US population, are living in poverty, making it the highest rate during the past 40 years.

To me this is the most significant datum in your quote....the increasing split between rich and poor and the shrinking of the American middle class.

[chiefst2000]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/01...ord-of-804-bn/

Two questions. Why are you all of a sudden posting articles that appear to be anti-Obama? I thought you were a big supporter of his. Between this and the one about the drop in small business startups under Obama one may think you were reconsidering your support.

#2 The Iranian government newspaper is not a reliable source of information on anything. I saw an article there last week blaming the Israelis for the Sandy Hook massacre. It was followed by a tirade of comments agreeing with the premise.

[chiefst2000]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

To me this is the most significant datum in your quote....the increasing split between rich and poor and the shrinking of the American middle class.

You misread the line. It said that poverty rates under Obama have grown to the largest in our history. Didn't say anything about a split between rich and poor or about a shrinking middle class. Regardless the article is from the Iranian newspaper meaning that not a word written there can be taken as truth without independent verification.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by BushyTheBeaver

To me this is the most significant datum in your quote....the increasing split between rich and poor and the shrinking of the American middle class.

The poor were hardly mentioned during the recent POTUS run. There is no voice for them and they are growing as you can see. We are on a slippery slope here with more and more Americans impoverished.

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

Two questions. Why are you all of a sudden posting articles that appear to be anti-Obama? I thought you were a big supporter of his. Between this and the one about the drop in small business startups under Obama one may think you were reconsidering your support.

#2 The Iranian government newspaper is not a reliable source of information on anything. I saw an article there last week blaming the Israelis for the Sandy Hook massacre. It was followed by a tirade of comments agreeing with the premise.

This is not anti-Obama. It is a fact of American life that the food stamp program is expanding rapidly. Even if one were to think that it is anti-Obama, look at the size of the program compared to the MIC.

The MIC is budgeted at 6/7 times that and yet the r's are constantly calling for the poor to take the brunt of everything (cuts). Let's get rid of the corporate welfare first.

As far as Israel goes, the Likud have taken things to a very extreme position so when people see Israel, they just go off on another extreme position. You have to remember there are plenty of idiots on the web (off of it too lol)

[chiefst2000]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

This is not anti-Obama. It is a fact of American life that the food stamp program is expanding rapidly. Even if one were to think that it is anti-Obama, look at the size of the program compared to the MIC.

The MIC is budgeted at 6/7 times that and yet the r's are constantly calling for the poor to take the brunt of everything (cuts). Let's get rid of the corporate welfare first.

As far as Israel goes, the Likud have taken things to a very extreme position so when people see Israel, they just go off on another extreme position. You have to remember there are plenty of idiots on the web (off of it too lol)

Huh? Likud is the centrist party in Israel. They are pushing for the two state solution there. There are parties there pushing for the one state solution on both the extreme left and right ironically. Anyway, what does that have to do with the fact that the Iranian government newspaper can not be trusted to provide accurate information on anything. They are a propaganda arm nothing else.


As for the anti-Obama stuff more people in poverty and on food stamps is not something that I would tout as a great achievement for a president. I might even use it to judge how poor of a job a particular president is doing. That alongside the decline in small business start ups are a big part of why progressive political philosophy and legislation in general is so bad for the country. As the great Ronald Reagan once said, "welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence".

[Jetdawgg]

Originally Posted by chiefst2000

Huh? Likud is the centrist party in Israel. They are pushing for the two state solution there. There are parties there pushing for the one state solution on both the extreme left and right ironically. Anyway, what does that have to do with the fact that the Iranian government newspaper can not be trusted to provide accurate information on anything. They are a propaganda arm nothing else.


As for the anti-Obama stuff more people in poverty and on food stamps is not something that I would tout as a great achievement for a president. I might even use it to judge how poor of a job a particular president is doing. That alongside the decline in small business start ups are a big part of why progressive political philosophy and legislation in general is so bad for the country. As the great Ronald Reagan once said, "welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence".

I was trying to figure out where the new jobs are coming from since Small Business is on the down slope. This POTUS has not done well with the economy.

The American electorate thinks that he will do a better job in this new term

[OCCH]

Originally Posted by Jetdawgg

I was trying to figure out where the new jobs are coming from since Small Business is on the down slope. This POTUS has not done well with the economy.

The American electorate thinks that he will do a better job in this new term

Actually, with more and more welfare being given out, I believe the more accurate assumption is the American electorate thinks he will do a better job of taking care of them . . .